Combination kitchen tool



April 30, 1968 A. SCHOBER COMBINATION KITCHEN TOOL Filed May 18,, 11967Alberf Schober INVENTOR Attorney United States Patent 3,380,089COMBINATION KITCHEN TOOL Albert Schober, 40 Irving Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y.11237 Filed May 18, 1967, Ser. No. 639,413 3 Claims. (Cl. 7-14.2)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE aXlS.

My present invention relates to a combination tool, e.g. for use as akitchen utensil, having means for performing such diversified tasks asopening sardine cans and other sealed tin boxes, uncapping bottles andpunching holes into metal containers.

It is known, e.g. from U.S. Patent 3,224,018, to combine a conventionalcan and/or bottle opener, having the usual prying formations, with anelongated implement having a slitted end for the unwinding of a sealingstrip from a container; with the opener positioned at right angles tothe stem of the stripper, the opener can be used as a handle to rotatethe stripper in its unwinding motion.

The general object of my present invention is to provide an improvementover this known type of tool in which the stripper, in its turn, isutilizable to exert leverage upon the opener during use of the latter.

The prying formations of most can and bottle openers are so disposed,usually along the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the implement, as tobecome effective upon rotation of the implement in that plane whichextends perpendicularly to the major sides of its generally fiatsheet-metal body. In the improvement device, according to my invention,the hinged connection between the opener and the stripper is so arrangedthat the pivotal axis thereof lies at right angles to the flat sides ofthe opener and thus parallel to the plane of its operative rotationwhich normally is also its plane of symmetry. When, now, the opener isswung from a position at right angles to the stripper stern into analternate position parallel to that stem, this stem in effect forms anextension of the opener in longitudinal direction thereof and thus actsas a lever for the punching of holes or the removal of bottle caps.

In order to insure maximum relative mobility of the stripper and theopener by the simplest possible means, I prefer to stamp or otherwiseform the opener integrally with a lateral lug which is flush with thebody thereof and joined by a pivot pin to a bifurcate end of thestripper stem opposite the slotted extremity thereof. By virtue of thisarrangement, given suitable dimensioning of the lug and the bifurcation,the opener can be rotated through 180 into alternate positions onopposite sides of the ice stem whereby a prying formation on either oneor the other end of the opener can be put to effective use.

The invention will be described in greater detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded side-elevational view of a combination toolaccording to my invention;

FIG. 2 is a side-elevational view of the assembled tool taken at rightangles to the view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the tool in either of twoalternate positions respectively indicated by full and dot-dash lines.

The tool shown in the drawing comprises a basically conventional can andbottle opener 1 pivotally secured to a stem 2 by a hinge pin 3.Implement 1 has the usual prying formations in the form of a bent point9 and a tongue 10 at one end as well as a rounded edge 11 and anothertongue 12 at the opposite end. This implement has a longitudinal planeof symmetry P bisecting the aforementioned formations.

The body of implement 1 has integrally formed thereon a lateral lug 4received in a bifurcated end 5 of stem 2. Pin 3 passes through alignedholes 7, 8 in bifurcation 5 and lug 4, respectively. At its oppositeextremity, stem 2 is provided with a longitudinal slit 6 for engagementwith a sealing strip of a sardine can or the like.

Hinge pin 3 defines a pivotal axis A which is parallel to plane P andabout which the implement 1 is freely swingable in either direction,through from its transverse position shown in FIG. 2 in which the toolis in the shape of a T with the opener 1 serving as a handle forrotation of the stem 2. In one of its two alternate positions, ie, theone shown in full lines in FIG. 3, prying formations 11, 12 areeffective for the removal of bottle caps or container lids upon exertionof either upward or downward pressure upon the free end of stem 2. Inthe other operative position of implement 1, shown in dot-dash lines,point 9 coacting with tongue 10 can be made similarly effective for thepunching of holes. In either case, the torque of stem 2 is readilytransmited to the opener 1 through the intermediary of pin 3 and lug 4,without development of any component force which would tend to swing theimplement 1 out of its position alongside stem 2 as would be the casewith any other orientation of the pivotal axis.

The absence of any discontinuity between the body of implement 1 and itslug 4 allows this lug to be made quite short without impeding the swingof the implement as the flat body thereof passes between the prongs ofbifurcation 5.

Naturally, the device described and illustrated may be modified invarious ways (e.g. by omission of one of its tongues 10, 12) withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A combination tool comprising a stem with a longitudinally slittedextremity for the unwinding of sealing strips and a generally flatimplement with at least one prying formation adapted to be madeeffective by a rotation of said implement in a plane perpendicular tothe major sides thereof, said implement being hingedly secured to theend of said stern opposite said extremity for relative swinging about apivotal axis parallel to said plane between a position at right anglesto said stem and an alternate position substantially parallel thereto,the length of said stem being greater than that of said implementwhereby said stem can exert leverage on said implement in said alternateposition.

2. A tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said implement has a sheet-metalbody provided with a laterally extending lug flush with said body, saidopposite end of said stern being bifurcate and straddling said lug,further comprising a pin traversing said bifurcate end and said lug toform the hinged connection between said stem and said implement.

3. A tool as defined in claim 2 wherein said lug and said opposite endare dimensioned to permit a swing of said implement through 180 betweentwo alternate positions alongside said stem.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,329 6/1903 Till 220-523,224,018 12/1965 Chadwick.

FOREIGN PATENTS 580,630 9/ 1924 France. 930,158 7/ 1947 France.

10 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

R. V. PARKER, J R., Assistant Examiner.

